A new index on digital inclusion is setting out a path for all Australians to get the vital benefits that come with internet access.
Information and communication technologies have become near-essential for everyday life, but many people in low income, remote and vulnerable communities can’t access them. Continue reading The dream to get every Australian connected online
Scientists from RMIT University are helping businesses across Europe and Australia harness the power of social media to become more innovative in a competitive market.
“Social media will help businesses develop innovations and promote novelties faster, with a competitive advantage,” says Professor Anne-Laure Mention, Director of the Enabling Capability Platform for Global Business Innovation at RMIT University.
With colleagues from Sydney, Geneva, and Luxembourg, Anne-Laure’s team is analysing the use of social media for open innovation practices in businesses around the world.
Continue reading How social media can help businesses get ahead
It turns out that Aussie pets love playing mobile games and watching TV, just as we do.
In a three-year study of mobile gaming and digital media in Australian households, researchers were surprised to find animals frequently joining in on the fun with technology.
“We have observed cats playing with iPads and keyboards, dogs watching television or participating in Skype calls,” says Distinguished Professor Larissa Hjorth, Director of the Enabling Capability Platform for Design and Creative Practice at RMIT.
She co-leads the research with Associate Professor Ingrid Richardson from Murdoch University. Continue reading Mobile games are for paws, too
A new city liveability study will soon map the health and wellbeing of residents across increasingly populated Australian cities, helping the government to design healthier living spaces. Continue reading Mapping liveability across cities
Opportunities for alternative livelihoods in fishing communities in Indonesia are being investigated by a team of Indonesian and Australian scientists.
They’re working to understand fisheries and the options for women in coastal areas, while reducing the pressure on targeted marine resources.
Small-scale fisheries are an important source of food security and income in developing countries. Many are also growing into international exporters, but they can place a huge strain on fish populations.
Continue reading What roles do women play in fishing communities?
Indonesian and Australian entrepreneurs will have more opportunities and support for collaborative start-ups, thanks to a joint-push by Austrade and technology companies telkom telstra and muru-D announced in May 2016.
muru-D, a start-up accelerator backed by Telstra, has previously lent its support to aquatic drones and a “ride-sharing service to space” via nano-satellites. The support for start-ups includes seed funding, coaching, mentoring and access to a network of industry professionals, from their offices in Sydney and Singapore.
“I’m fascinated by why people love objects so much,” says Dr Melissa Norberg, Director of the Behavioural Science Laboratory at Macquarie University.
“What is it about the items (or the person) that makes objects so appealing?”
While we’re all guilty of holding on to a few sentimental things, Melissa’s interest is in studying those who meet the criteria for hoarding disorder.
With Associate Professor Jessica Grisham at the University of New South Wales, Melissa has been investigating how mood affects peoples’ ability to throw things out.
Continue reading Hoarding disorder: why is it hard to part with stuff?
Port cities can be lively, vibrant hives of activity—the hub of a nation’s economic health— if they’re planned well.
Indonesia’s busiest port, Tanjung Priok, has roughly two and a half times the container traffic as the Port of Melbourne. But it also has a reputation as one of the least efficient ports in Asia.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has recognised the need to transform the nation’s ports and plans to develop 24 new ports by 2019. One recently established, state-of- the-art port is Teluk Lamong in Surabaya.
Continue reading Making efficient ports to keep cities connected
Just under half the children in Australia with a mental health issue aren’t receiving the appropriate treatment, and one third of their parents say the main impediment is a lack of access to treatment options.
“We’ve got all these great programs that we know work, but kids in rural Australia have just not been getting access to them,” says Dr Lauren McLellan, a clinical psychologist and Research Fellow at the Centre for Emotional Health.
Continue reading Cool Kids goes bush – helping rural children with anxiety
A unique national centre is working to build an emotionally healthy community through science and practice.
From four-year-olds with anxiety, to 90-years-olds with depression, the Centre for Emotional Health at Macquarie University takes a ‘lifespan approach’ to mental health.
They’ve spent the past 20 years studying, developing, testing and rolling out mental health programs – which are now available in eight languages and 15 countries including Denmark, the UK and Norway.
